As we all know, 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. The occasion has been marked by the inclusion of the special logo on the websites of many organisations, conferences of all kinds, wide media coverage and a general, though not always appropriate, public debate.For protected areas and parks, preserving biodiversity has always been a key driver. Maintaining biodiversity is a goal against which to measure the effectiveness of protected areas, and demonstrate how these are essential to safeguard the different ecosystems within their far-reaching geographical network. Down the years, especially in Alpine regions, the concept of safeguarding and preserving species threatened by extinction for whatever reason, has undergone a sea change in the wake of "field" experience in protected areas. The exclusive objective of protecting an individual species - for example, the Edelweiss - has given way to an understanding that whole biotopes must be safeguarded. This is especially true for ecosystems that are home to fast dwindling species like amphibians and birds of prey on account of ever-encroaching farmland. This broader view has in turn led to the concept of habitat safeguard as reflected by the EU Nature 2000 Directive.